Fall 2009

When James Lentini, Dean of the School of Fine Arts, snatched the microphone from John Weigand `77, Chair of the Department of Architecture and Interior Design, at last spring’s departmental awards ceremony, the surprises were only beginning for Weigand. Unbeknownst to Weigand, his entire family had been quietly shuffled into the audience and two of his long-time colleagues and friends were beaming over what was coming next.

With that, Lentini announced the creation of the John Weigand Founder’s Scholarship in Interior Design – the first scholarship created specifically for the program since its integration with the Department of Architecture in 1995. The scholarship endowment, created by professor and former departmental chair Bob Benson and assistant dean of the School of Fine Arts Rosalyn Benson, will be awarded annually to a Miami interior design student.

"We don’t honor existing faculty members enough, and we both believe it’s important to honor exceptional faculty while they’re still alive and active in their profession," said Rosalyn Benson. "What John has done with Miami’s interior design program in less than 15 years is incredible, and he doesn’t always get the recognition he deserves."

Weigand, who returned to Miami as a faculty member in 1991, was a graduate of Miami’s former environmental design bachelor’s program, which has since become a bachelor’s of architecture. During his more than 10 years at a design firm in Chicago, he had seen first-hand how tightly interwoven interior design had become with architecture. Though hired by the Department of Architecture, he soon found himself in McGuffey Hall teaching interior design classes, which at the time were considered to be under the realm of home economics.

By 1995, it had become apparent that interior design fit better with architecture, and Weigand, with his dual backgrounds in architecture and interior design, was tabbed to direct the program and develop a new curriculum. From the start, Weigand drew from his professional experience and sought to integrate architecture and interior design, a somewhat bold approach that only a handful of universities have been able to successfully implement.

"We had the opportunity to ask ‘what does an interior designer need to understand differently than an architect,’" Weigand said. "We found that there was a significant amount of overlap."

The end result was a program in which first-year interior design students take the same core classes as architecture majors. While the courses become more specialized as the students advance within the program, each student is provided a strong understanding not only of design principles but also fundamental architectural issues.

Enrollment in the fledgling program doubled during each of its first seven years, beginning with three students in 1995 and today numbering 75. In 2002, Miami’s interior design program was accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), and in December 2008, the program was honored by DesignIntelligence as one of the nation’s Top 10 interior design programs – ahead of more than 300 other programs.

While Weigand credits Bob Benson, who he recently succeeded as departmental chair, for the program’s success, Benson is quick to return that praise. He and Rosalyn created the scholarship through Miami’s faculty/staff endowment program, which allows employees to establish an endowment for as little as $10,000 and receive a $5,000 university match.

"Rosalyn and I knew from my time as chair that the interior design program was in need of scholarships," Benson said. "And we felt it was fitting to honor the individual who founded the program and essentially shepherded it into a nationally ranked program. The faculty endowment program allowed us to set up this scholarship for a modest gift, and we hope it’s something that will grow through the generosity of others."